Extension table with self contained overhanging leaves



Jan. 1s,- 1955 F. G. RANNEY 2,699,976

EXTENSION TABLE WITH SELF-CONTAINED OVERHANGING LEAVES Filed July 6, 1955 2 sheets-she t 1 I a INVENTOR. Franms b. Ranneq Jan. 18, 1955 F. G. RANNEY 2,699,976

EXTENSION TABLE WITH SELF-CONTAINED OVERHANGING LEAVES Filed July 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

F rafini 8 Emmy United States PatentO Charalr Furniture Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 6, 1953, Serial No. 366,163

6 Claims. (Cl. 311-48) The present invention relates to an improvement in extension tables having one or more filler leaves permanently secured to the frame, and more particularly to a further improvement in my prior invention disclosed in pgtent application Serial No. 311,723 filed September 2 19 2.

In the invention as disclosed in my prior application, a table having a rectangular frame is provided with longitudinally sliding table top sections which fit between and are guided and supported by side frame members. One or more parallel filler leaves extending between the inner sides of opposite side frame members are pivotally hinged beneath the sliding top sections so as to be concealed by them when the top sections are closed together. When the table is opened, the filler leaves are pivoted up to a level with the table top sections forming a continuous and extended top surface.

In the prior invention, the top of the table did not extend over the side frames as is the case in the usual extension table; but was positioned between the side frame so as to be continuous with the filler leaves when in an extended position.

In the present invention, however, the table top sections extend to a normal overhang distance beyond the side frames. The leaves pivoted beneath the top in a manner similar to that of the prior invention are provided with hinged inside elements at either end which open outwardly when the leaves are raised to a level with the table top, forming continuous side edges with the table top. This construction thereby provides a table of normal appearance with a top extending over. the frame members and which contains within the frame one or more permanently and pivotally secured leaves adapted to form with the top sections a contiguous and uniformly shaped extended top surface. In addition to these advantages it is also an object of the present invention to provide guide members for the sliding top sections to prevent their jamming while in longitudinal motion.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table in a closed position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the table in an extended position with the leaves partially swung into an extended position.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary perspective view of the table in a closed position with the top sections removed.

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary detail of the construc tion, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational section taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring to the figures, the table has a top board 1 comprising two or more sections indicated as sections 2 and 3 which may be separated by sliding them laterally of the frame. The board may, however, be unitary or divided laterally into more than one section. It is preferable, however, that this board be divided into two equal sections as indicated.

The embodiment of the invention as shown herein for simplicity is described in connection with a top divided into two sections, but the same principles apply to tables with more than two sections.

The two sections are slideably supported on the frame 4, having ends 5 and 6 and sides 7 and 8. Each of the two sections 2 and 3 rest on the frame, having their sides extending beyond the side frame members 7 and 8 forming overhanging elements 9 and 10 of the top sections '2 and 3.

continuous surface.

2,699,976 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 The sections 2 and 3 are slideably secured to the frame by a plurality of S-shaped brackets 11 (Figure 5) having one end 12 secured to the bottom side of the top sections and the other end 13 engaging one of the channels 14 extending the length of the inside surface of the side frame members 7 and 8. One or more of these brackets 11 are positioned on both sides of the top sections near the center of the table so that the top sections may be drawn outwardly far enough to permit the leaves to be pivoted into an extended position. Since these brackets extend down from the top sections below the level of the top edge of the end sections 5 and 6 of the frame, they prevent the top sections from being drawn completely out of the frame.

The top sections, if desired, may also be provided with gear trains or pulleys and ropes or any other meansfor moving both of them apart uniformly, provided thesemeans do not interfere with the operation of the filler leaf elements.

In the accompanying drawings, the embodiment of the invention includes two filler leaves generally designated 15 and 16; but more than two or only one may readily be incorporated by using the same principles herein described.

The filler leaves 15 and 16 are somewhat shorter in length than the distance between the inside surfaces of the opposite side frame members 7 and 8 with just enough room at the ends of the filler leaves for the invisible hinges hereinafter described. These leaves are hinged respectively to cross beams 17 and 18 by means of hinges 19. Each leaf is hinged to rotate from a position beneath their respective cross beams 17 and 18 as illustrated in Figure 2 to a position above their respective cross beams whereby each leaf is in the same plane with and parallel to the top sections 2 and 3 when the table is in an extended position.

The hinges 19 have their pivots extending in lateral alignment on each leaf with the line of pivot adjacent the edge of the cross beams and with onehalf of the hinge secured to the cross beam and the other half of the hinge mounted on boards or plates 20 which are secured to the bottom of the leaves, referring to their position when level with the table top. These plates 20 maintain the two halves of the hinge in the same plane permitting the filler leaves 15 and 16 to pivot from a position just beneath the cross beams 17 and 18 to a position on a level with the table top since the thickness of the plates 20 are such as to bring the top of the filler leaves in the same plane as the table top.

Cross beam 18 may have its ends set permanently in the side boards 7 and 8 so that the table leaf 16 when in an exposed position will always lie just to the right of the center of the table as viewed in Figure 3. In order to permit leaf 15 to fit snugly against leaf 16 and also permit it to be rotated as desired as well as to bemoved to the center of the table and positioned sym-' metrically with regard to the table when only one leaf is to be used, the cross beam 17 to which the leaf 15 is hinged is itself slideably mounted on the frame. A pair" of parallel grooves 21 are provided one on the inside surface of each side frame member 7 and 8 to receive metal plates 22 attached to both ends of the cross beam 17. These grooves of limited length permit a free lateral movement of the leaf 15 so that they may be moved away from the leaf 16 to permit rotation, and may also be moved close to leaf 16 when in an exposed position to close the table top.

When the table is opened, the top sections 2 and 3 which have been separated to permit the raising of the leaves are closed against leaves 15 and 16 to form a If desired, a fixed cross beam 23 9 parallel and on a level with cross beams 17 and 18 may be provided as additional support for the leaf 15 when in an open position. A similar cross beam, not shown, may also, if desired, be provided for the support of leaf I 16 when it is in an open position.

When the leaves 15 and 16 are raised to an extended position, overhanging side sections are provided by the leaf fillers 24 and 25 hinged to the leaves 15 and 16 respectively which form a continuous surface with the top of the table when in an extended position, and which havetheir'edges continuous with the outside edges of the overhanging elements or sides 9 and 10. These leaf fillers each have a length equal to the Width of the leaves to which they are hinged and a width sufiicient to form a continuous extension with the outside edges of the overhanging sections 9 and 10. These-leaf fillers 24 and 25 are hinged respectively under the leaves 15 and 16, as viewed from a closed position (Figure 3), with their longitudinal side walls 26 and 27 continuous and in the same vertical plane with the end walls 28 and 29 of the leaves 15 and 16 respectively.

The leaf fillers are hinged to their respective leaves at both ends by pairs of hinges 30 which have one section extending into the end Wall of the respective leaf and the other section extending into the longitudinal side wall of the filler leaf. These hinges, when the table is in an extended position, are invisible and will pivot the leaf filler to a level with the respective leaf to which it is hinged with the longitudinal side walls 26 and 27 of the leaf filler in face to face relation with the end walls 28 and 29 respectively of the leaves. It will be noted that the ends of the leaves are spaced from the inside surface of the side frame members 7 and 8 to allow room for passage of-the hinges 30 as the leaves are pivoted to and from a closed position. Rim fillers 31, secured to the inside surfaces of the side frame members 7 and 8, are in face to face relation with the longitudinal side walls 26 and 27 of the leaf fillers and the end walls 28 and 29 respectively of the leaves when the table is in a closed position. These rim fillers have a length less than the distance between the pair of hinges 3i? at each end of each leaf so that in pivoting the leaves, the hinges will not bind at the ends of the rim fillers. These rim fillers 31 prevent any undesired movement of the hinged leaf filler and firmly hold the leaf fillers against the bottom of the leaves when the leaves are in a closed position. In place of a rim filler as described, any spacing means such as projecting ridges may be used provided they do not bind the leaves when they are being pivoted and provided they hold the leaf fillers securely against the leaves when the table is closed.

Inasmuch as the line of joints 32 and 33 between the leaf fillers and their respective leaves will be exposed when the table is in an extended position, continuous grooves 34 may be cut into the top sections 2 and 3 to form a continuous design with the line of joints.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming a top surface, means for slidingly securing said r board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame, a table leaf extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf filler elements extending lateral to and at each end of said table leaf, and means hingedly supporting said filler elements to the ends of said table leaf whereby after said table leaf is pivoted to a position in the plane of said board said leaf filler elements may be pivoted to a position forming end extensions to said table leaf.

2. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming a top surface, means for slidingly securing said board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame, a table leaf extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf fillers shaped to form a continuous surface with the table leaf and board, and means for securing said leaf fillers in said position.

3. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming a top surface, means for slidingly securing said board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame, one or more table leaves extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf filler elements extending lateral to and at each end of said table leaf, a plurality of hinges positioned with their lines of pivot parallel with the ends of the table leaf and each secured one half to an end of the table leaf and the other half secured to the adjacent leaf filler whereby after said table leaf is pivoted to a position in the plane of said board said leaf filler elements may be pivoted to a position forming end extensions to said table leaf.

4. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming-a top surface, means for slidingly securing said board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame, a table leaf extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf filler elements extending lateral to and at each end of said table leaf, means hingedly supporting said filler elements to the ends of said table leaf whereby after said table leaf is pivoted to a position in the plane of said board said leaf filler elements may be pivoted to a position forming end extensions to said table leaf, and means for securing said leaf fillers in face to face relation with the lower surface of the table leaf when said leaf is in its closed position.

5. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming a top surface, means for slidingly securing said board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame, a table leaf extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf filler elements extending lateral to and at each end of said table leaf, means hingedly supporting said filler elements to the ends of said table leaf whereby after said table leaf is pivoted to a position in the plane of said board said leaf filler elements may be pivoted to a position forming end extensions to said table leaf, and inwardly projecting means secured to said side wall members adjacent the ends of said table leaf for securing said leaf fillers in face to face relation with the lower surface of the table leaf when said leaf is in its closed position.

6. An extension table comprising a frame having side wall members and supporting leg elements, permanent board elements extending over said side wall members forming a top surface, means for slidingly securing said board elements to slide in a direction parallel to the length of the frame comprising a groove formed on the inner side of the side wall member parallel to the board element and an angle element having one side secured to the bottom of the board element and the other side engaging said groove, a table leaf extending transverse to the length of said frame, means hingedly supporting said table leaf in said frame on an axis transverse to the length of said frame whereby said leaf may be pivoted from a position below said permanent board element to a position parallel and in the same plane with said permanent board element, leaf filler elements extending lateral to and at each end of said table leaf, and means hingedly supporting said filler elements to the ends of said table leaf whereby after said table leaf is pivoted to a position in the plane of said board said leaf filler elements may be pivoted to a position forming end extensions to said table leaf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 276,159 Clooney Apr. 24, 1893 730,850 Wood June 9, 1903 1,096,732 Luigi et al May 12, 1914 1,342,481 Wennerstorm June 8, 1920 1,766,694 Siskin June 24, 1930 2,118,620 Orsenigo May 24, 1938 

